IMMUNOLOGY2026™ Conference Recordings For Attendees-Liver sinusoid constraints make random search of CD8 T cells for Plasmodium parasites efficient

Liver sinusoid constraints make random search of CD8 T cells for Plasmodium parasites efficient

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Video Summary

The talk explains how CD8 T cells help prevent malaria in mice by finding and eliminating liver-stage parasite-infected hepatocytes before the parasite reaches the blood stage. Early experiments showed that transferring antigen-specific T cells could suppress infection, and imaging revealed T cells often form clusters around infected cells. However, statistical analyses of T-cell movement in the liver found little evidence that the cells are strongly attracted to infection sites. When the liver’s sinusoidal structure was incorporated as a network, simulations showed T cells could find infected cells efficiently even without directed attraction, often within 24 hours. This suggests that the liver’s constrained architecture makes random search surprisingly effective. The speaker concludes that, in malaria, T-cell guidance may be less important than retention and local environmental changes at the infection site.

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Date April 17, 2026 12:45 PM - 1:00 PM

Room 104AB

Session Targeting Adaptive Immune Responses against Cancer and Other Pathologies

Speaker Vitaly Ganusov

Track Vaccines and Immunotherapy (VAC)

Year 2026

Keywords

CD8 T cells

malaria immunity

liver-stage parasites

hepatocyte infection

random search

April 17, 2026 12:45 PM - 1:00 PM

104AB

Targeting Adaptive Immune Responses against Cancer and Other Pathologies

Vitaly Ganusov

Vaccines and Immunotherapy (VAC)

2026